Lynn Powers

All of the cans in your cupboard are stacked neatly, labels covering out. Your clothes are hung according to color. The books on your shelf are lined up by author. You don’t believe in junk drawers. When your friends come to visit, they always comment on how neat and organized your home is.

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, professional organizing is the perfect job choice for you. No formal training is required; the only thing necessary is that you have a knack for organizing. And answering “yes” to any of those questions indicates that you do!

Why Professional Organizing?

There are two main reasons people hire professional organizers: Time and Cluelessness. In today’s world, people are often just too busy with work and the demands of life to take the time to organize their homes, no matter how badly they want it done. Others may have plenty of time, but have no clue where to start or how to organize in a way that will work for them

What a Professional Organizer Does

Basically, it will be your job to wage creative ideas, helpful information, and solutions for your client’s individual needs. You will help them control clutter, separate junk from treasure, pinpoint their particular goals, and define their priorities, which finally results in the main objective: making life easier for them and reducing stress. You can do this by simply helping to organize a closet, garage, office, basement, or taking a bigger step into helping someone organize their time, or life in general.

Finding a Niche

Where do you want most to see people succeed at organizing? In their homes? Businesses? In their individualized lives? Once you choose which aspect to hone in on, you can determine your target client. For instance, if your focus is “home,” you will want to target busy moms, working women, or new home owners. Advertise in DayCare centers, coffee shops, or leave fliers on doors of homes with “For Sale” signs in their yards. If you choose to specialize in business organization, including file systems, and paperwork solutions, your target will obviously be professional business people, executives, or people who work from a home office.

How Much to Charge

Most Professional Organizers charge between $35 and $50, plus materials. Of course, you will need to do some research to discover what the typical charge is in your particular neck of the woods.

Start-up Costs

In addition to applying for a business license and obtaining liability insurance, you will need to purchase a handful of tools to take with you as you assess your clients’ needs. Main supplies to have on-hand include, a notepad, pencil, permanent marker, tape measure, calendar, digital camera, rubber gloves, and magazines or books with samples to show your clients.

Additional Resources

Before jumping in, do your homework. Besides continually brushing up on the latest trends, always be on the lookout for creative ideas and tips to bring to your client’s table. Check into webinars, seminars, books and magazines that will help you in your business.

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